At Vida Nueva Ranch we raise Quarter Horses and Paint Horses.  Some breed historians have maintained that the American Quarter Horse is the oldest breed of horses in the United States. The Quarter Horse is known for its great speed during one quarter of mile distances.      

In 1519, the Spanish expolorer Hernando Cortes sailed to the New World to find his fame and forturne.  Along with the entourage of conquistadores, he brought hores to help his men search the vast land for riches.  According to the Spanish historian Diaz del Castillo, who traveled with the expedition, one of the horses was described as a "pinto with white stockings on his forefeet."  The other was described as a "dark roan horse with white patches."  There were the first known recorded descriptions of early Paint Horses in the New World.

 Today Quarter Horses and Paints are known for more than their great speed and flashy color.  They are chosen horses of the American cowboy.  Many Paints adn Quarter Horses have what is known as "cow" in their blood.  This means they have a natural instinct and ability for working cattle.  This trait is what has drawn our family to thesequi magnificent creatures!

As a child, I grew up around Quarter Horses and Appaloosas, but my dream was to one day raise Paint Horses.  So when we bought the ranch, Jay bought us a few Paint Horses and later a few Quarter Horses.  Since then our horse herd has grown along with our family.  Today, our kids compete in ranch rodeos, ropings, ranch sorting and penning, and various rodeo series throughout Texas.   Their favorite events are the ones that require a cowy horse with a good sound mind and conformation.

Here at Vida Nueva Ranch everything is lively!  We have all kind of animals, but horses have really left a mark on us.  OUr horses are not just pleasure horses, they have to pull their own weight on the ranch and in the arena.  We use our horses for all kinds of things such as bringing cows up from the pastures when we need to work them to holding a half if we had to rope one.  They mucst behave under all circustances including trips to the vet or carrying a small child.  

Now that's not to say that we don't enjoy our horses for pleasure also.  The kids spend a lot of time on the backs of horses!  When the weather is nice, we all enjoy a long trail ride through the woods to the lake.  Riding has been a great family time for us and we look